The Scottish Central Railway was formed in 1845 to link Perth and Stirling to Central Scotland, by building a railway line to join the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway near Castlecary .
81-652: The Denburn Valley Line was a connecting line constructed to connect the northern end of the Aberdeen Railway and Deeside Railway to the southern end of the Great North of Scotland Railway mainline. The line was built over a former stream – the den burn . It also passed underneath the existing Union Bridge . It opened on 4 November 1867. The project included the "joint station" , a new through-station, and two smaller stations: Schoolhill and Hutcheon Street . The adjacent Union Terrace Gardens opened in
162-741: A branch to South Alloa . The line immediately became part of the forming trunk railway network in Scotland, and amalgamation with other railways was considered, and in 1865 the Scottish Central Railway amalgamated with the Caledonian Railway . The main line continues in use today as a major part of the Scottish Railway network carrying frequent passenger services and a significant freight traffic. In earlier years Perth had been an important trading town, but in
243-735: A connection was reported; the Caledonian Railway too was becoming a reality, as the prime connection between central Scotland and the English network, and connection to the Caledonian would give that added access. The Caledonian saw the synergy of a linkage with the Scottish Central and proposed an alliance, offering to pay certain Parliamentary and other expenses. The Caledonian policy was aggressive expansion (even though it had not yet obtained authorisation for its first line);
324-675: A few years. The Aberdeen Railway was worked by the Scottish Central Railway between 12 February 1851 and 31 July 1854. On 29 July 1856 the Aberdeen Railway amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway to form the Scottish North Eastern Railway (SNER), forming a single company controlling the route from Perth to Aberdeen. Parliament was uncomfortable with the formation of large railway companies, and in granting
405-587: A further extension south-west from Stoneywood was built; known as the Castlerankine branch, it ran to Carronrigg Colliery. The Edinburgh and Glasgow formed an increasingly close alliance with the North British Railway, and it was clear that this would result in polarisation into an East Coast group; the obvious consequence was closer alliance between the SCR and the Caledonian, and amalgamation
486-530: A junction at Plean. The Dundee and Perth changed its name to the Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen Railway Junction Company and opened its wooden bridge (replaced by today's Tay Viaduct ) crossing the Tay at Perth on 8 March 1849. Having lost the amalgamation Bills, the SCR considered what arrangements to make. In February 1849 it was reported that an arrangement had been finalised with the "Southern Companies", meaning
567-485: A junction north of Larbert (and to Tillicoultry by ferry at Alloa, capital £115,000); and to Perth Harbour and other facilities there (capital £80,000). The location of the Perth main station was also finalised; earlier proposals to site it (and three other railways' terminus stations) at the high-amenity South Inch had led to strenuous opposition in Perth; now it would be located to the west. However one important Bill failed:
648-459: A large initial payment, but committed the Caledonian to massive periodical payments. The Caledonian was soon overwhelmed by this, and in the summer of 1849 asked the LNWR to take over the running of its line. The LNWR, seeing the situation, refused. The contractor Thomas Brassey was approached, with the same outcome. Through the course of 1849 the Caledonian found that the income on the SCR (and also
729-421: A limited through passenger service to London operated by London North Eastern Railway . In addition a night sleeper service to London Euston is operated by Caledonian Sleeper . The section between Brechin and Bridge of Dun is operated as a heritage railway by the Caledonian Railway (Brechin) . On 12 August 2020, a derailment occurred near the site of the former Carmont railway station ; three people -
810-431: A line from Dundee would be retained, and the original Aberdeen Railway route would close. This took place in 1967. Both routes used the same track north of Kinnaber Junction (a little north of Montrose) and this was retained; it is the only section of the original Aberdeen Railway that is still in use. A heritage railway , the Caledonian Railway (Brechin) , operates on the former Brechin branch. The first proposals for
891-509: A line to Aberdeen. As it was expected to open later in 1848 there was a sudden burst of activity to acquire the rolling stock necessary to work that line. This was at a time when final payments to the SCR's own construction contractors were becoming due, and finding the cash was for a while a significant problem. The building of the line took longer than the Board hoped; it had once been promised for April 1847. A combination of landowners delaying
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#1732793569119972-543: A more moderate annualised charge was agreed. A corresponding difficulty existed with the toll for the use of Perth station and its approach tracks, and this led to similar controversy in 1849 (see below). In 1856 the Forth and Clyde Junction Railway opened, running west from Stirling to Balloch. The Scottish Central provided engines and crews although the F&;C line worked its line itself in other respects. The F&C felt that
1053-549: A railway connection from Perth to join the E&;GR was an expedient way to satisfy it. In fact the early objective was to connect at the north end with the Dundee and Newtyle Railway , which had opened in 1831. A meeting took place on 24 February 1844 to move the matter forward and a prospectus was issued in the following month. By April 1844 there were references to the Central Railway , and E&GR agreement to making
1134-407: A railway to Aberdeen were put forward in 1827 when Robert Stevenson was commissioned to assess the potential; however nothing progressed from his study. In the 1840s there was a frenzy of railway speculation and promotion in Scotland; this was focussed on the means of connecting central Scotland with the developing English network. Considerable controversy existed for some years while the best route
1215-537: A share issue to cover the cost of a branch to Falkirk on the E&GR, which had evidently not been considered necessary before. In September 1845 a frenzied series of negotiations took place with the Caledonian and the E&GR about access; these did not lead directly to an agreement, but in October 1845 the Board agreed on amalgamation with the E&GR "on equal terms"; the Caledonian were informed, and in November
1296-527: A similar, but not identical, proposal. Their version became law on 1 August 1865, also formalising the status of the Joint Committee in the light of the railway amalgamations that had taken place. The Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway had been supported financially by the Scottish Central, to the extent of £200,000 and worked by it. By Act of 29 June 1865, the Callander company was absorbed by
1377-409: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Aberdeen Railway The Aberdeen Railway was a Scottish railway company which built a line from Aberdeen to Forfar and Arbroath , partly by leasing and upgrading an existing railway. The line opened in stages between 1847 and 1850, with branches to Brechin and Montrose . The Aberdeen terminus was at Ferryhill , some distance from
1458-464: The Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway but at this early stage its committee asked the SCR for support. A feeder branch was welcome, but they wanted cash. Fearing that rejection would drive the Callander line into hostile hands the SCR undertook to take a substantial shareholding. The authorised capital of the SCR had been £700,000, but it was now considered necessary to increase this to £850,000 by
1539-580: The Railway Race to the North . In the 1895 races Kinnaber Junction, where the two routes converged for the last section to Aberdeen, became key, for whichever trains passed the junction first was sure to get to Aberdeen first. In 1923 the Caledonian Railway was a constituent of the new London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) as the main line railways of Great Britain were "grouped" under
1620-536: The Railways Act 1921 ; the North British Railway was a constituent of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), so that the rivalry and competition, while not as extreme as in the racing period, continued. After nationalisation of the railways in 1948 the two railways were merged into a new Scottish Region, but for a long time the structure and pattern of the railways continued relatively unchanged, and Aberdeen
1701-513: The 1830s its significance was being overshadowed by the cities of central Scotland. There were short local railways in the area around Dundee, but connection to the emerging network further south, and potentially in England, seemed to be essential, and proposals were put forward from 1841 to achieve that. The opening of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway (E&GR) in 1842 emphasised the need, and
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#17327935691191782-579: The 1845 session of Parliament, and the Scottish Central Railway obtained its Act on 31 July 1845. The engineers for the line were Joseph Locke and John Edward Errington . When determining its route, the SCR had assumed friendly terms with the E&GR would give it access to Glasgow over their line; but the E&GR had opposed the SCR Bill in Parliament, having its own designs on reaching Stirling. The newly incorporated SCR therefore negotiated with
1863-646: The 1870s. Hutcheon Street and Schoolhill stations closed in 1937 as the local cross-city service was discontinued. The line is still in use today as the end of the Dundee–Aberdeen line and the start of the Aberdeen–Inverness line . The joint station is now the only railway station in central Aberdeen. The Trinity Centre was built over part of the line. 57°09′13″N 2°06′38″W / 57.15368°N 2.11060°W / 57.15368; -2.11060 This Scotland rail transport related article
1944-453: The A&;FR line was supposed to proceed concurrently with the construction of the main line, but the A&FR too was short of money and did not pursue the work rapidly. At first the old track was simply to be regauged, but it soon became clear that the stone block track of the A&FR would be inadequate for main line operation. Work started laying a new standard gauge line on the north side of
2025-591: The Aberdeen Railway had envisaged it running from Forfar (at the termination of the Scottish Midland Junction line) via Brechin, but the Bill as presented was for a junction with the Arbroath and Forfar Railway at Guthrie, about halfway between Arbroath and Forfar. This saved some mileage of new construction, but the track gauge of the A&FR would have to be changed. The line was to run a little to
2106-458: The Caledonian and the LNWR and the Lancaster and Carlisle; they would work the SCR and the SCR handed over their rolling stock to them. The SCR would receive 6% on its capital as well as a contribution to its expenses. If this seemed like a good idea, it was soon proven otherwise. The Caledonian Railway had pursued an aggressive policy of capturing territory by leasing local railways. This avoided
2187-482: The Caledonian had enlarged its Buchanan Street terminal in Glasgow, and SCR trains now ran to that station. On 2 September 1848 a Scottish Central Railway coach attached to a LNWR express train from Stratford to Birmingham was involved in, and may have been a contributory cause of, a fatal derailment near Newton Road railway station . Thus the Caledonian Railway acquired 112 route miles of line: The Perth station
2268-507: The Caledonian in arguing the case: the future West Coast alliance was forming after all. The SCR shareholders would receive 7% on their capital. This drew strong opposition from the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, which had assumed a working arrangement would be possible, and they threatened opposition in Parliament; and indeed in June 1848 a Bill to authorise leasing the Scottish Central line to
2349-523: The Caledonian was rejected. The Scottish Central had promised the Caledonian a loan of £6,000 towards their building of a branch to Castlecary, to join the Scottish Central there. The offer was now withdrawn. The Scottish Central had finalised an agreement to work the Scottish Midland Junction Railway (SMJR), which had been authorised on the same day as the Scottish Central; it was to run from Perth to Forfar, connecting with
2430-399: The Caledonian, also newly incorporated. The Caledonian proposed to enter Glasgow from the south over the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway, a renamed and modernised incarnation of the early Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway . This ran from Coatbridge in a broad northern sweep to a terminus at Townhead in Glasgow, and the Caledonian was going to lease or buy it. The Caledonian was receptive to
2511-609: The Dundee and Perth (DP&AR) trains were arriving to the south of the station and reversing into it. In 1861 separate platforms outside the main station and at right angles to it, were opened; they were referred to as the Dundee Dock . Through goods trains to the north were diverted to tracks on the west side of the station itself, but there were still complaints about congestion. In 1861 the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
Denburn Valley Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-549: The Guthrie fork was not properly connected and was not open at first. In fact the majority of the Aberdeen Railway traffic took the Guthrie curve and ran to Perth via Forfar and the SMJR. Much Dundee traffic travelled via Forfar and the Dundee and Newtyle Railway; until October 1849 this still had its own track gauge of 4 ft 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,384 mm ), so transshipment and change of train were necessary for
2673-524: The Inspecting Officer's reservations about some details. The line was three miles (5 km) long, without any intermediate station. The branch was extended for goods only by Act of 1857, opening in January 1860; called the "Denny Branch Extension" it ran to Stoneywood, and there were mineral branches also to ironstone pits near Ingleston. In 1888, after absorption by the Caledonian Railway,
2754-414: The SCR announced to them that they planned to merge with or lease the Scottish Midland Junction Railway . This was bad news for the Caledonian, which had planned to form close links with the SCR and the SMJR, forming a "West Coast alliance". There had already been a non-encroachment agreement by which neither company would promote new lines into the other's natural area of influence, but as time went by this
2835-481: The SCR approach, no doubt preferring that the SCR should ally itself with it rather than the hostile E&GR, and offered the SCR the option of joint ownership of the GG&;CR. Fearing too close a relationship with the Caledonian, the SCR refused the offer. For the time being it had no assured route to Glasgow. Interest had arisen in a line serving Callander, branching from the Scottish Central. This later became titled
2916-498: The SCR operated the ferry crossing, advertising the journey to Glasgow and Edinburgh as taking 2 and 2½ hours. The ferry remained open but with different lessees, for example the lease was re-let in 1861 when the local newspaper hoped to see an improved vessel put into service that could accommodate carts and carriages. The CR was still using the ferry and South Alloa station in early 1885 advertising services to Glasgow (Buchanan Street) and Edinburgh Waverley . South Alloa station
2997-408: The SCR substantially raised the charges and extended them to other categories (such as accompanied dogs) causing extreme antagonism. In fact some companies in particular the E&GR refused to pay for a period; during this time the SCR stopped their trains just before entering the tunnel and insisted on taking the tunnel charge in cash from passengers in the trains. The matter shortly came to a head and
3078-400: The SCR was overcharging for its services and announced their intention to terminate the arrangement from 7 February 1860. They needed to order locomotives and they were delivered in 1861, from which time the F&C was robustly independent. The SCR had long had designs on Dundee, and early on had acquired a ferry operation across the Tay there. In fact the Dundee and Perth Railway connected
3159-507: The Scottish Central Railway board had determined to build a line to Tillicoultry , crossing the Forth at Alloa. This ambitious idea fell by the wayside but the Scottish Central Railway did build a branch to South Alloa on the south bank of the Forth where a ferry operated to Alloa on the north bank. The branch was opened on 2 September 1850, from a new station Alloa Junction (located between Larbert and Plean ) to Alloa . In July 1852
3240-422: The Scottish Central had included a branch to Perth Harbour, at Friarton. This was not merely a permission, but an obligation. Perth magistrates were anxious that the branch should be built, as they believed their Burgh was losing out to Dundee because of the inconvenient transport links. The Act had required the SCR to build the branch by 1 July 1851. The SCR was especially short of funds at this time and stalled, but
3321-436: The Scottish Central. The combined company did not remain in independent existence very long: the Callander company was absorbed by the SCR on 31 July 1865. That changed lasted one day. The original Scottish Central Railway main line was projected at one time to have been taken through Denny, but this was not done. In 1856 a branch was authorised, from the junctions at Carmuirs; it opened on 1 April 1858, after some delay due to
Denburn Valley Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-486: The Scottish Midland Junction, which the SCR had leased) barely covered operating expenses, and the promised 6% on capital was not remitted. The LNWR and the Lancaster and Carlisle declined to remit money while the prime player, the Caledonian, was not doing so. On 1 December 1850 the SCR reclaimed its rolling stock from the Caledonian in order operate its trains and those of the Scottish Midland Junction; this included working into Queen Street station in Glasgow. In January 1851
3483-587: The amalgamation Bill, it gave running powers over much of the northern part of the system to the North British Railway . The NBR pressed the point further, and obtained authorisation in 1871 to build a line from a junction at St Vigeans, immediately north of Arbroath, to Kinnaber Junction via Montrose, giving it access to Aberdeen over the former Aberdeen Railway route. On 10 August 1866 the Scottish North Eastern Railway
3564-466: The amalgamation with the E&GR required Parliamentary approval and this was withheld on 29 July 1847. While construction of the line was proceeding, the Board considered how they could best get access to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and amalgamation with the Caledonian Railway now seemed to be the way forward. The London and North Western Railway and the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway were joining with
3645-413: The authorised main line at the time, and not a destination of great importance. Only 17 miles (27 km) had been constructed. The site of the stations at both Brechin and Montrose had been controversial; at Brechin the station was sited nearer the town centre than originally planned; at Montrose the station could not be constructed in its intended location, and a temporary station at Victoria Bridge
3726-429: The centre of Aberdeen. Reaching central Aberdeen was difficult, but was finally achieved in 1854. The Aberdeen Railway was reliant on other railways further south to reach central Scotland, and in 1856 the Aberdeen Railway joined with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway to form the Scottish North Eastern Railway . In the 1960s there were two routes from central Scotland to Aberdeen, and rationalisation dictated that
3807-433: The construction was Thomas Bouch , but he had many commitments at the time, and his absences led to considerable delay in completion of the line. It finally opened on 14 March 1856 after an incident in which the SCR refused to allow its locomotive to traverse points at the junction on the intended day (13 March) because they said they were unsafe. The junction station was only an interchange station. The authorising Act for
3888-563: The driver, a conductor and a passenger - were killed. Stations open for passengers are shown in bold. Branches: Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0 . OCLC 22311137 . O S Nock, The Railway Race to the North , Ian Allan Ltd, Shepperton, 1958 Scottish Central Railway The line opened in 1848 including
3969-496: The equivalent of six miles running for the use of 320 yards of line on the northern approach. The SNER refused this in 1859 and set up a temporary platform just beyond the SCR lines; the station was called Glasgow Road. Through passengers had to make their own way through the streets between the two stations. The dispute lasted a few weeks until an arbitrator allowed the SNER to use the tracks for an annual payment of £100. At this period
4050-405: The existing single track broad gauge line; the new track would have transverse timber sleepers and wrought iron rails. In addition its locomotives and rolling stock needed to be converted, or new equipment obtained. The Aberdeen main line joined the A&FR by a triangular junction; the north apex was at Glasterlaw, with the south (Arbroath) apex at Friockheim; the west apex was at Guthrie. However
4131-569: The extended route started on 1 February 1850. There were difficulties with the Burgh of Aberdeen over the proposed terminal site; originally a terminus in Market Street had been contemplated, but now the company had to settle for a temporary terminus at Ferryhill, some distance from the city centre. The first steam locomotive reached Ferryhill on 16 March 1850, and public services started on 1 April 1850. The independent Deeside Railway
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#17327935691194212-504: The idea of promoting a railway costing hundreds of thousands of pounds seemed suddenly commonplace. In the same 1845 session several other lines were promoted. Not all of them were as ambitious as the Caledonian scheme, but among them were the Scottish Central Railway linking Perth with the two dominant railways in central Scotland, the (as yet unbuilt) Caledonian and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway . Also authorised
4293-497: The matter was taken to legal opinion in London and the SCR felt compelled to build the line; it opened in 1852. Perth General station took a long time to be completed: the initial; stage was substantially complete in early 1849. The Scottish Central had taken the lead in the design and construction, and controlled the operation of the station. Many amalgamations and name changes took place at this period. The other "founding" users of
4374-417: The new Aberdeen Railway company lost no time in negotiating the lease, and it was finalised late in 1845. It was to be "in perpetuity". The Aberdeen Railway proceeded with constructing its line, and on 1 February 1848 it opened from the junctions with the A&FR to Montrose and Brechin. Both were on branches, with Brechin served from Bridge of Dun, and Montrose from Dubton, which was the northernmost point on
4455-480: The outstanding sums had become huge and the SCR took the Caledonian to court over the outstanding, which had reached £900,000. The court ruled against the SCR on the basis that the working agreement had not been ratified by Parliament and was ultra vires. The SCR was still dependent on the Southern Companies for through traffic. A period of relative stability now followed, and an arrangement for sharing
4536-460: The price was that the Scottish Central would permanently ally with the Caledonian and give the Caley primacy as far north as Stirling. The SCR declined the offer. Surveys of the route were carried out, and a route selected following the present-day main line from Larbert to Perth, except for the location of the Perth station; and there was to be a branch line to Crieff. The Bill for the line went to
4617-415: The receipts from traffic damped down competitive aggression for a decade. The SCR was entitled to charge a toll for the trains of other lines over their own route on a mileage basis; but the passage of Moncrieffe Tunnel, between Perth and Hilton Junction (where the Edinburgh and Northern line diverged) was counted as four miles. This heavy extra charge was resented by the other companies, and in January 1851
4698-488: The release of their line, a series of hard winters, and difficulties in tunnel construction combined. In 1848 Captain Wynne of the Board of Trade made an inspection on 5 January 1848; he found the line not quite ready but after a second inspection it was indicated that the line could be opened from Stirling to the southern end, that is the junction at Greenhill with the Edinburgh and Glasgow. The opening took place on 1 March 1848;
4779-401: The running powers granted by Parliament. Rivalry for the prestige traffic led to competition for the fastest runs, and in 1888 and again in 1895 the two companies ran a series of demonstration trains, vying for the accolade of the fastest transit from London to Scotland - to Edinburgh in 1888 and to Aberdeen in 1895. The competition and the press attention surrounding it, became characterised as
4860-456: The shareholders had voted against Sunday operation. The northern section of the main line was ready in May and a ceremonial opening took place on 15 May 1848; the public opening was made on 22 May 1848. The intermediate stations were incomplete and goods facilities were not initially available, so that at this stage the line was open for passengers only, until 15 June 1848. The Perth General station
4941-452: The station were With the operating arrangements of the day, dealing with the trains of four companies proved a challenge. This was increased when the Perth and Dunkeld Railway opened in 1856, running to Perth over the SNER. On 8 August 1859 the station was (by Act of Parliament) transferred to joint status. However the ownership of the approach lines was with the SCR and the SNER was charged
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#17327935691195022-519: The two places, crossing the Tay at Perth and using the same Perth station as the SCR. Amalgamation was considered beneficial, and on 26 July 1863 it was ratified by Act of Parliament. A branch line to Crieff had been included in the original authorising Act, but the company did not press forward with this line due to shortage of capital. A separate company, the Crieff Junction Railway was authorised on 15 August 1853. The engineer for
5103-509: The west of Montrose and then follow the coast to Aberdeen. There were to be branches to Montrose and Brechin, and the Arbroath and Forfar line was to be leased to the Aberdeen Railway. The authorised capital was £830,000 and the Act was given the Royal Assent on 31 July 1845, the same day as the Caledonian Railway and the SCR and the SMJR. The lease of the A&FR was only authorised , but
5184-507: Was a considerable structure, having been designed by William Tite ; the Scottish Central had been in the lead for design and construction, but the Edinburgh and Northern Railway and the Dundee and Perth Railway were given accommodation at the station. The permanent building was not ready for the opening of the line and a temporary platform was provided. The Caledonian Railway opened its connection at Greenhill on 7 August 1848, connecting London with Perth, and beyond. A fourteen-hour journey
5265-478: Was advertised. Cattle could be conveyed to market in London on 24 hours where previously they had gone to London on the hoof, taking several weeks. The Dundee and Perth Railway was already open, and the Scottish Midland Junction Railway , open from 20 August 1848 and associated lines gave access through to Forfar. The SCR trains to Glasgow continued to run to Queen Street over the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. The South Alloa branch opened on 12 September 1848, from
5346-457: Was authorised on 16 June 1846. It was a creature of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and was absorbed by the E&GR before completion of construction in 1850. The E&GR gave the SCR accommodation at Sighthill, near Glasgow, for its goods traffic. In the 1846 session of Parliament, several SCR branches were authorised: that to Crieff from what was later Gleneagles (capital £160,000); to Denny from Larbert (capital £50,000); to South Alloa from
5427-633: Was authorised, and it made initial approaches to the Joint Committee about the use of Perth station. When the Inverness line opened in 1863, the major issue was the stabling of its carriages: the SCR insisted that there was no room within the station for the purpose. In December 1865 the Company prepared a Bill to extend Perth station. Immediately the Joint Station Committee declared that it was its prerogative to do so, and they prepared
5508-577: Was constructing its line at this time, from Banchory; it too had difficulty in entering Aberdeen and by arrangement it ran to the Aberdeen Railway Ferryhill terminus, opening its line on 7 September 1853. The extension to the permanent terminal station at Aberdeen, known as "Guild Street", was opened on 2 August 1854. This involved bridging the River Dee : a laminated timber design was used, but this proved not to be durable and
5589-424: Was critical; they set about committing independent lines to an alliance with themselves, by leasing them. This had the advantage that (unlike in a purchase) no cash had to be put down at once: merely an annual charge later on. This arrangement was made with the SCR and the SMJR, giving the Caledonian control of a continuous railway from Carlisle to Forfar, and access to Aberdeen. The Caledonian Railway's authorising Act
5670-534: Was debated: at first it was assumed that only one route was supportable, and the Caledonian Railway route over the Southern Uplands seemed to be the chosen route. The Caledonian obtained parliamentary authorisation in the 1845 session, capitalised at £1,500,000, a tremendous sum at the time. The continuous debate in the preceding years had encouraged thoughts of a Scottish network too; this was further facilitated by easy availability of investment money, and
5751-430: Was entitled An Act for making a railway from Carlisle to Edinburgh an Glasgow and the North of Scotland, to be called the Caledonian Railway . The Caledonian was not deterred by the fact that the SCR and the SMJR had only received Parliamentary authority on the same day as themselves; however a major hurdle was to be getting Parliamentary sanction for the leases, which were seen as anti-competitive. Early proposals for
5832-409: Was itself absorbed by the Caledonian Railway. The Caledonian Railway now operated a trunk network from Carlisle to Aberdeen. Long distance passenger traffic assumed greater importance, but while less prominent, goods traffic was a major activity. At the same time the rival North British Railway developed its route through Edinburgh and Dundee to Aberdeen; the final approach was over Caledonian tracks by
5913-553: Was needed. A shareholders' meeting in October 1848 considered some radical proposals, including a takeover by the English London and North Western Railway . The company decided to continue alone, and the only way out was to issue preference shares, authorised by Parliament. The shares were taken up, and northwards construction resumed. On 30 October 1848 the line was extended to Limpet Mill , north of Stonehaven, and it reached Portlethen on 13 December 1849. Passenger services on
5994-507: Was not well adhered to. The junction with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway at Greenhill gave satisfactory access for Scottish Central trains to Glasgow Queen Street, but was inconvenient for Edinburgh. In the 1846 Parliamentary session, the E&GR submitted a Bill for the Stirlingshire Midland Junction Railway , which was to build from Polmont to a junction near Larbert, giving a direct connection. It
6075-476: Was once again considerably enlarged. The Joint Committee now consisted of the Caledonian Railway, the North British Railway and the Highland Railway . In 1884 the Perth station was again much extended; the Dundee Dock, which consisted of terminal platforms at right angles to the main station, was converted into two sharply curved through platforms connected directly to the main station. As early as 1846
6156-660: Was put into effect in 1967. The section from Kinnaber Junction to Aberdeen carried the East Coast trains and was retained. That is now the only section of the former Aberdeen Railway that remains in use, apart from the heritage section of the Brechin branch, operated by the Caledonian Railway Brechin Ltd, which started operation in 1993. The line between Aberdeen and Kinnaber Junction remains in use; passenger services are operated by ScotRail with
6237-627: Was reached by trains from London by the West Coast route (the old LMS line) and also by the East Coast route (the old LNER line). However passenger and goods traffic was declining, and in the mid 1960s it was becoming obvious that two competing routes to Aberdeen were not sustainable. It was determined that the LNER route via Dundee, Arbroath and Montrose would be retained, and the former Aberdeen Railway route would cease to carry through traffic. Glasgow to Aberdeen trains would run via Perth and Dundee. This
6318-432: Was reconstructed in the 1880s. With the increasing importance of the Great North of Scotland Railway , running north from Aberdeen, agreement was made to construct a larger station that they would use jointly. This Joint Station opened on 4 Nov 1867, by which time the Caledonian Railway had absorbed the Aberdeen Railway company. (The name Aberdeen Joint station was changed to simply Aberdeen in 1952. The regauging of
6399-428: Was seriously discussed: it resulted in formal amalgamation by Act of Parliament on 5 July 1865, taking effect on 1 August 1865. The Scottish Central Railway ceased to exist, except to wind up the company. The operation of SCR trains to Glasgow into Queen Street over the E&GR continued: it had done so even during the period when the Caledonian was working the SCR. However this changed from 1 January 1870, by which time
6480-516: Was the Scottish Midland Junction Railway from Perth to Forfar. Already in existence was the Arbroath and Forfar Railway , on a broadly west to east axis, and with the distinctive track gauge of 5 ft 6in (1,676 mm). Last in this northward-stretching chain was the Aberdeen Railway, which was authorised on 31 July 1845. The directors of the Caledonian Railway had a strategic vision, and they saw that securing territory to their own company
6561-418: Was used. A Mr Cloudsley operated a horse bus connection until the proper terminus opened on 8 Feb 1850. A local newspaper reported it as "The roomiest and best [station] in the northern part of the kingdom", but this seems to have been hyperbole, and the station was reconstructed in 1864. The Aberdeen company had run out of money, and the state of trade was such that raising more would not be easy, yet £300,000
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